Quaternary ammonium salts such as HI-6, HGG-12, SAD-128, and Toxogonin are dephosphorylating compounds which are used for the treatment of persons exposed to cholinesterase inhibitors. The reversal of the inhibition of acetyl cholinesterase by phosphorylating agents has also been achieved by treatment with pyridinium aldoxime salts. However, the bis-quaternary salts HI-6, HGG-12, SAD-128, and Toxogonin have been shown to be more effective than the mono-salts.
At the present time, the synthesis of these bisquaternary salts involves a carcinogenic and toxic alkylating agent, bischloromethyl ether (ClCH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 Cl) as an intermediate reactant. Efforts to form the desired salts without using toxic bischloromethyl ether as the alkylating agent have included the attempted use of the bisacetoxymethyl ether. However, such has not proven useful as an alkylating agent.
In brief, it has not been possible heretofore to effectively alkylate amine derivatives to form such bis-quaternary compounds without the use of toxic alkylating agents.